One reason we love the SEC is the pageantry.  Not only is it the best conference in the country on the gridiron, but it’s also home to the best stadiums in the nation.

SEC fans waited eight long months for kickoff to return, and we saw some electric atmospheres this past weekend.

Let’s rank the top five:

1. Georgia

The Bulldog faithful showed up in a huge way.  It was a sold-out crowd of 92,745 at Sanford Stadium and a red out.  The Georgia fans made an impact, with Clemson having to take a couple timeouts due to the noise level between the hedges.  Mark Richt was quick to praise the Bulldog fans in his postgame press conference saying “I want to tell the fans thank you … they were so awesome.”

2. Tennessee

Is Rocky Top back?  Neyland Stadium was rocking during Sunday night’s contest between the Vols and Utah State.  Vol Nation created havoc for quarterback Chuckie Keaton and the Utah State offense.  Not only was it loud, but Neyland just had a different feel to it last night.  A feeling that could symbolize the Vols being back.  And it’s better for the SEC and college football when the Vols are good and Neyland is at the level we witnessed on Sunday.

3. Auburn

Jordan-Hare Stadium looked and sounded like the home of the reigning SEC champs on Saturday.  A sold-out crowd of 87,451 cheered the Tigers to a win over Arkansas.  They saw a tight game through the first half, but the Auburn faithful never wavered and stayed, even after a lengthy weather delay.

4. South Carolina

Even in a loss, Williams-Brice Stadium proved itself to be one of the premier venues in the SEC.  The SEC Network crew did a beautiful job of laying off and letting the pictures speak for themselves during the open of the telecast, and the Gamecock fans survived a few early blows by Texas A&M and hung in the game about as long as their team did.

5. Mississippi State

It was an old rivalry renewed between Mississippi State and Southern Miss, and with Davis-Wade Stadium’s new renovations, Starkville may be the SEC’s best hidden gem.  It was a white out for the Bulldogs, and the cowbells were as strong as ever.